imported post
I don't know if I speak for the majority or minority of the OCDO members, but I personally don't carry any printed references. I found out the hard way that, even with officially printed laws, some LEOs just wont "believe" you.
It wasn't a gun related incident, but I'll summarize anyway. I have 5% window tint on my car, which is registered in MN, with MN plates obviously. The limit in MN is 50%, but because of the wording of the definition of a "limousine" in the MN statutes, my car qualifies as a limo and is therefore exempt from the tinting regs. (this eventually got clarified and confirmed with the DA of the area that I got pulled and ticketed in.)
I wasn't in the state for 3 days when a state patrol pulled me for my tint, and nothing else. I smiled and explained that I understood why he pulled me over, and that I had a good explanation. I proceeded to explain to him why my tint was legal. He stopped me half-way through and said "this isn't a limousine."
At that point I again smiled and expressed that I understood that it sounded a little silly, then I presented the printed documents with all the necessary information highlighted for easy reference. He read it, tossed it back in my car, stated that he knew better and I could "try that on the judge" if I wanted.
Like I said, once I presented the DA with the same information, along with photographs of my vehicle, she laughed and said "if you're not planning on being a lawyer, you should be." as she dismissed the case.
At the same time, I've found that being able to CONFIDENTLYrespond to questions with immediate, legally accurate explanations can be sufficiently convincing. The key there is to communicate the undeniable fact that you KNOW what you are talking about, without coming off as being rude or belligerent.
That theory allowed me to defuse the situation in the bank where the man questioned having a gun in the bank, and I responded "Yes, in a bank. All though I have a permit to carry concealed, NC law REQUIRES me to have the weapon displayed openly while in the bank so the employees know that I am not a threat." Now while the reason I gave might not have been completely accurate, it was more than enough to shut the guy up.
With all of that being said, the document Matt linked to has caught my attention in the past, and I may very well print it out for myself lol.